Full Notification

For Immediate Release
June 21, 2017

Media Contact:
Bobby Egbert
(201) 871-2100
[email protected]

AAAPO Press Release: Attack on Airport Police Officer at Bishop International Airport Is an Attack on All Airport Police

The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) sends thoughts and prayers to airport police officer Lieutenant Jeff Neville, who was stabbed at Bishop International Airport in Flint, Michigan, this morning. AAAPO commends the law enforcement organizations that responded to this incident.

Details are still developing and an investigation is underway by the FBI. However, accounts indicate that this attack has the underpinnings of being terror-related.

“Airport policing is a dangerous job, and today’s incident highlights the exposure of airports,” says Paul Nunziato, president of the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association and co-founder of AAAPO. “Bad and disturbed people are attracted to the airport environment, which is considered the Holy Grail for attacks on America. We stand with Lieutenant Neville and the men and women of the Bishop International Airport Police, condemning this hateful attack and again calling for commonsense policing changes at airports to secure air travel and passengers.”

“Our airports continue to be a target for terrorists and those who want to cause harm, and today’s incident reinforces that we must remain vigilant in protecting and securing our airports,” says Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association and co-founder of AAAPO. “Regardless of the nature or motive of this heinous incident, we need to step up airport security. We wish Lieutenant Neville a swift recovery.”

AAAPO has promoted basic, commonsense changes to airport security and policing, including stationing airport police near TSA screening areas, providing airport police with real-time access to all cameras at airports and screening all airport employees.

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The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) is composed of rank-and-file airport police officers (including many dual police/aircraft rescue firefighters) who stand as the first line of defense against terrorist attacks, hijackings and other criminal activity at our nation’s airports. We seek to promote security and safety for the traveling public, visitors and airport employees by highlighting best practices and identifying areas for improvement and proposed solutions for our nation’s airport security deployment. AAAPO focuses on regulatory issues that promote our efforts to provide the most advanced and cutting-edge service innovations and security processes in our nation and the world. Our organization represents thousands of sworn law enforcement officers across the United States beholden only to this mission. We are unencumbered by neither political nor managerial constraints that would prevent us from promoting sound public safety policy.

The founding members of the American Alliance of Airport Police Officers are composed of numerous rank-and-file airport police officers from John F. Kennedy International Airport; LaGuardia Airport; Los Angeles International Airport; Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport; LA/Ontario International Airport; Newark Liberty International Airport; Van Nuys Airport; Stewart International Airport; and Teterboro Airport.